how do I find the perfect color match for my truck?

Question

I'm gonna be fixing some rust so all I need is spray paint but how do I find the right color?

Answer 1

You probably won't find the perfect match. However, you can take the paint code off the sticker in the door jamb and bring that to an auto parts store. They will get you a can of whatever color that is supposed to be.



Unfortunately, due to slight variations in manufacturing and processes by different manufacturers, the colors may be slightly different. Couple that with any fading that is bound to exist on older cars and it probably will be noticeable. This is why body shops blend the adjacent panels so it isn't noticeable. Don't be fooled, even if they claim to use the exact color, they still need to blend panels. Nobody is perfect.

Answer 2

Saw a couple of the comments; there is a difference in expectations for if you're working a "restoration" type truck or just inhibiting more rust and covering the fix. If it's the daily driver,then you need to remove and/or treat the rust situation by getting to good metal (physically stripping it or patch panel repair it),use a smoothing compound sparingly and then primer/paint. Some places can mix up a near match with real car paint (not just spray bomb stuff) and add it to an aerosol can unless you have a paint gun. As most said,spot matching is hard,if you do a panel area it is "less" noticeable often,similar to painting your house,if you have to swap paint or open a different can then try to do it at a wall/corner transition and not in the middle of the wall.

Answer 3

You won't find a perfect duplicate, even if you try to color-match. Hell, even paint batches from the original manufacturer will differ. Ask anyone who is a professional home painter or car body painter, and they'll tell you that the only way to ensure a perfect match across all your painted surfaces is to use a single mixed batch of paint and paint the whole thing all at once. That's just how it is.



Fortunately, white is one of the easiest to fudge so that discrepancies in color aren't as noticeable, but if you have a pearl or metallic finish that makes things more complicated. To get a good finish, you need to properly prep the surface, then prime it, then sand it, then paint it, sand it, paint it, sand it, paint it, sand it, put on clear coat, sand it, put on clear coat, sand it, and polish it. Doing a good job on auto paint is an extremely time- and labor-intensive process.

Answer 4

There should be a paint code on the plate attached to the inside of your driver's door. You can use this to match to the correct color.



If you are just looking to spray paint for a quick fix, you might be able to do some research online to find a brand and color that closely matches the original.

Answer 5

1. Find the color code on the door jamb

2. Go to a body shop, and have them give you that code

3. Look at the color chart for spray paint at an autoparts store

4. Know full well, that is going to look like crap when it is done, since you don't know what you are doing.

Answer 6

Some body shops have a spectrometer. They place it on the car and it will tell them exactly what mixture to use to perfectly match any color. It works the same as a spectrometer that paint stores use to match paint from swatches you brought in to match when you want to match other paints. Look for a body shop that uses one.

Answer 7

Find the color code in the door jam and use duplicolor touch up spray paint it works great